NASA hired Space
Exploration Technologies to launch an ocean monitoring
satellite, a key win for the start-up rocket company that also
wants to break into the U.S. military's launch business, NASA
officials said on Thursday.

The $82 million contract covers launch, payload processing
and other services for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's ocean-measuring Jason-3 satellite, which is
slated to fly in December 2014.